Initial D : The Sprinter Junior
by johnsonlam
Summary: Takumi's life as a young driver. Helping the troublesome father sending tofu to Akina Lakehouse. How Takumi learn to Drift. Why Takumi can be faster and faster each day. Note : This is my second Story, Please read "Initial D : Takumi's Mother" first.
1. The Sprinter Junior : The Order

Chapter 1 : The Order  
  
Young Takumi is 13 years old this year. He had been helping the father making Tofu for a living since very young. He stayed in the Tofu shop owned by his father, just the 2 of them. Takumi's mother had passed away when Takumi was born. Takumi's father told him when he was young.Since then, he never talked about his mother.  
  
I am home... Shouted Takumi at the door of the shop when he reached home from school. He put away his shoes and went up stairs to change. A moment later, he came into the kitchen to help his father wash the tofu containers and blending Soya Beans.  
  
Takumi... Bunta said while wiping his hands dry on a towel. Today, I will start to teach you to drive. You will have to send Tofu for me after you have master driving.   
  
father... Drive ? I am wau underage for a license... how...   
  
Listen to me, Bunta cut in. You will deliver the Tofu early in the morning. That way, you won't have any problems with authorities. The reason I ask you to do so is because I need more time to make more tofu to support our higher living cost. You are now in Secondary School. Your school fees and books are more expensive now. If you can drive and send the tofu to our customers, I can stay in the shop to make more to sell in the morning. Since business is doing good, we need more products to sell. You understand.   
  
Bunta step out of the kitchen for a smoke outside the shop.  
  
Takumi continue washing the containers witout saying anything. He was thinking.. Driving ? Early in the morning ? But father was right. My school fees are getting higher. With the current economy crisis, we need more money to survive.. Only if father can stop smoking and drinking. We would be better off..  
  
***********************************  
  
This is my Second Story.   
  
Please read "Initial D : Takumi's Mother" first.  
  
I am bad at writing stories, but I am here to give it a try.  
  
Reviews please... And those who did and e-mailed me. THANKS ! 


	2. The Sprinter Junior : The Learner

Chapter 2 : The Learner  
  
The Black and White AE86 trueno was parked outside the tofu shop.  
  
This is the Accelerator Pedal, this is the Clutch and that is the brakes... This is how you steer using the steering wheel... Takumi repeating all these to the father. Takumi felt really bored because he already know what are those. He had seen how the father drive when he followed him up and downhill of Akina to send tofu to customers and sometimes to visit his mechanic.  
  
Alright the father said. Without further instructions, the father told Takumi to drive. As if Bunta can actually read Takumi's mind. Takumi was thinking to himself. Finally something practical rather than just repeating stuff. Takumi fastened the seat belts and sat properly. Started the engine, clutch and entered first gear... The car jerked a bit before moving.. the car jerked again when Takumi changed gears. Bunta was sitting beside him, giving no expression when they pass thru the back lane of their shoplot. Takumi kept to the firrst 3 gears and drive around the block a few times. His adaptation and learning progress was fast. By the next hour, he already master moving the car from first gear and gear changing.  
  
alright, enough training for today. You better go finish up your homework. Bunta said when Takumi stopped the car in front of the shop. Takumi was lightened up. Now he can finish up his home work in time before watching his favorite anime series, Gundam Seed.   
  
Bunta sat on the bonet of the AE86. Lighting up another cigg and was in a deep thought. Not bad for the first time. Maybe I can speed the process up a bit and teach him something else tomorrow. But before that... I will get the car set up first.   
  
Bunta drove off with the AE86 to see his trusty mechanic. 


	3. The Sprinter Junior : Dorifto

Bunta asked, so, did you noticed anything ?.   
  
This is not your usual driving style. I remembered you will make the car move sideways like a crab before the corner and take the corner very fast. But this time you choose to slow down the car and then turn. Takumi replied.  
  
I am trying to teach you Slow In Fast Out. And engine braking to prepare the car for corners. These will be the first step to Drifting.. Which is my usual driving style as you mentioned. Now, let's switch, I want to watch you do what I showed you just now.  
  
Takumi learned to drive this was everynite for 1 week. And at the end of the week. He can control the car around the corners smoothly. Takumi thought to himself, weird, why father don't teach me how to drive sideways like he did ? It is much faster that way... Maybe he don't want me to drive fast ?  
  
He went to bed early that day. Not really sure why, but he just felt like he needed all the rest. 


	4. The Sprinter Junior : The delivery boy

Chapter 4 : The delivery boy  
  
Takumi ! Takumi ! Wake up. Come down at once. Bunta Called.  
  
Takumi was stiring on the bed.. What time is it now ? 4am in the morning ? Why father calls him so early.. Coming.. I am coming..   
  
Takumi, I need you to help me send tofu to akina lake everyday from today onwards. Said bunta. Your drivings are already above average and I can make use of you to send tofu to our customers so that I can make more to sell in the morning as I told you before.  
  
oh... alright. Takumi replied. Getting into the driver's seat. Fastening the seat belts. The car had already started and warmed up by his father. He wanted to turn on the air heater. eh ? what's that ? A coffee cup holder ? That moment, Bunta passed Takumi a paper cup through the window. Takumi half expected it to be coffee and was surprised to see it was just a 1/2 filled plain water.   
  
Father... Takumi started to ask but was interrupted by Bunta... This cup of water is to simulate the tofu you are carrying in the boot. As long as the water does not spill out, the tofu will not be spoiled. Remember, the control of brakes and clutch have to be smooth. Now go.   
  
Takumi took a quick glance on the cup of water and drove off. He kept an eye on the water all the time and it was really hard to drive. Everytime he takes a turn up Akina hills, the water will swirl and almost spills he paniced and let go of the throttle.. the water falls back to normal level with a splash.. This will not do... Takumi thought..  
  
Slowly, he drove all the way up to the Lake house... very tired from all the concentration he force himself onto.. 


	5. The Sprinter Junior : Not so smooth

Chapter 5 : Not so smooth  
  
Takumi looked at the time, gosh, he took so long to get up to the lake, now he have less than 1 hour to get back and prepare to go to school.   
  
Takumi jumped into the seat, start the engine and zoomed off towards the first corner... He turned the steering hard and accelerated. To his surprised, the car's tail was gripping for a while and half way thru the corner, the rear end just lost traction and the tail starts to swing out ! Takumi felt his heart stopped for a second before acting rather blindly following his instincts..  
  
He braked and turned the steering more.. the car spun to a stop. The car is now facing uphill again. Thank goodness there were no cars coming from the opposite direction. He then remembered. His father had the car moving sideways with the rear of the car swinging outwards too... He remembered the father was actually steering the other way round not steering to the direction of the corner.. and father also did change gear and braked at the same time... How did father do that ? Takumi was a bit lightheaded.   
  
He continued the journey downhill, carefully this time. Making sure he braked before the corners to slow him down. He sensed that when he brakes before entering the corners actually makes the car tilt toward the front and the rear tyres making some screetching sound when he turned and accelerate. Does this mean anything to him ? He must study the way the father drive once again because if he continue driving as bad as he does today, he will end up crashing into the divider or worst... late for school !  
  
Oh no.. He IS late for school now... 


	6. The Sprinter Junior : At school

Chapter 6 : At school  
  
YAWN !!! ... WACK !! Takumi woke up from his day dreaming about Gundam characters when he was hit on the head by his close friend. Itsuki...   
  
Takumi, you want to come over my house after school later ? My father bought me a Tamiya model of a Ferrari. I will be modeling it later. Already got a tube of glue, some brush and paint. Hope to complete it by tonight. I am so happy. so ? will you come over later ?  
  
hmmm. Takumi thought for a while.. He is not into cars and he hates modelings. They are so bored. He remembered seeing Gundam figures sets been sold in the shops and they were not completed. Needed lots of tiny parts to complete a whole model. Such a waste of time, effort and money. Furthermore, he need some sleep...   
  
Er, itsuki... No, I will not come over. Kinda sleepy.  
  
What ? Takumi ! What did you do last night ? Been watching those Animes again ? Without inviting me ?  
  
Itsuki, no. I have been helping my father.   
  
Oh.. Ok then.  
  
Takumi continue day dreaming by the class corridor. He nearly crashed the car this morning. Pushing the car too fast round the corner. But his speed was way slower than his father's pace. He is still missing a lot of things. Takumi just can't understand what. Why is he so different from his father ?  
  
Something caught his eyes. Takumi was staring beyong the Sakura plant in his school compound. Right beside the canteen, he saw a very cute and pretty girl. Takumi saw her a few times before and noticed her to be very cute and sweet. But he don't know her name or from which class. Oh well, why should he care anyway. Girls are sometimes quite annoying. Judging from his classmate, Ohara. She is just too annoying, asking stupid questions and always such a bugging person. Mika was pretty and all, but she gets too much attention from the guys and she kinda liked that. This makes Takumi felt really disgusted, especially when she keeps complaining that her bags are heavy and guys swarming to help her carry it.  
  
Maybe Takumi felt like that because he never had sisters or even seen his mother before. Sigh... Oh well. Dad is not complaning much about not having a female around. So, same goes with him he guess. Time to go back to those boring classes. 


	7. The Sprinter Junior : The Main Lesson

Chapter 7 : The Main Lesson  
  
The next day. Takumi prepared himself again to send the tofu up to the Lake. Surprisingly, his father stepped into the driver's seat and gestured Takumi to sit beside him. Takumi locked the shop's door and got into the car. The father drove off without saying a word.   
  
Takumi was happy about this because he can experience the father's driving again so that he can pick it up. But his expression is still the same. Just quiet and stared on the road while he actually kept an eye on they way the father shift gears and brake. Takumi did not know why he was so anxious to see or to learn about this. He actually don't know much about techniques and cars. Driving stunts is not his interest too. Maybe he just want to be able to do like what his father did. Just his habit. He will try to memorize some stuff.  
  
Bunta thought to himself. "Takumi... I hope you can learn well what I am going to show you. Yesterday, when I looked at the tires and saw horizontal lines on the tires, I knew what happened to the car. You lost control of the car in a spin. That's good actually, I don't need to teach you about oversteering, since you won't be able to understand it at all, I will just show you once again, how I do this... " Bunta turned the paper cup on the cup holder with his finger. Just to make sure his boy noticed the water behavior in the cup. Sure enough, Takumi's eyes caught the water movement in the cup and his eyes were in a gaze.   
  
Bunta reached the perfect corner to drift.. A light step on the brakes and the car weight shifts to the front, he heel and toe to drop gear smoothly and turns the steering wheel gracefully to allow the car's tail to swing out... A slight step on the throttle, Bunta sends the rear tires's traction to be off and the car is sliding sideways now.. With a graceful turn, and the quick coordination of his hands, the turned the steering wheel the other way to counter steer the car.   
  
Takumi's eyes was on the water behavior all the while, he was surprised to see the water just turns around in the paper cup despite the speed they were going! He don't understand why and how his father does all that to make the car move so gracefully and smoothly but still maintain the speed. He just don't understand.   
  
Bunta was thinking deeply. How to make Takumi understand more. He is not the type of person who is good at mechanical. I must let him feel the car more. Takumi is the type of person who feels using his senses. Not think using his brain. Yes. I will train him that way.  
  
Bunta drifted the rest of the way to Akina Lake to delivery the tofu. His gracefulness gave no effects to the tofu. They were not destroyed nor break apart. Bunta looked at Takumi, who carried one of the crates into the shop. He really hope Takumi learnt something just now. Bunta still have more in store for him later during the journey downhill. 


End file.
